She explained that from being brought up in a home of alcoholism and dysfunction, it caused me to have anxiety and my hyper-vigilance was a coping mechanism that I developed to protect myself.

I carried that wariness for quite some time and then my hyper-vigilance morphed into perfectionism. I thought if I worked hard enough and became “enough”, then I would earn the right to be loved, and in essence, this was still a form of protecting myself.

When I came to Christ and read, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”, I struggled for many years to understand what this passage meant.

And what in the world did He mean by a yoke being easy and a burden light?

I knew my soul needed rest but did not have a clue how to attain it. Spiritual rest seemed like it was only something you found on a weekend spiritual retreat.

After years of being bound up with restlessness, I began to realize what Jesus is saying to each of His children in this promise.

He is saying, Come to me when you are tempted to carry things you were never meant to carry on your own—your fears, coping mechanisms, doubts, your depression, bad temper, family issues, illnesses—all of it.

The enemy’s lie from the beginning is: God cannot be trusted. God is not safe, nor good. He is holding out on you so you must self-protect and do this thing on your own.

You and I have a choice to make daily: whether or not we will rest spiritually. This is not some one time thing, this is a choice we will have to make over and over again:

If we will fret in fear or fall on our knees in trust.
If we will carry the heavy weight of self-sufficiency and pride on our backs or give it over to our burden carrier.
If we will be in a constant state of motion of doing, going, and climbing to try and prove our worth, or if we will receive that we are loved just as we are.

Right now, with the state which our world is in, we can choose to be either vigilant in scanning the latest news, or we can choose if we will be vigilant in prayer.

I now know and can see the symptoms arising when I am entering into a state of spiritual restlessness.

The yoke feels so heavy I can’t take a deep breath. I begin to feel the need to strive, prove myself worthy, and self-protect. And my peace and joy are crushed under the weight.

Entering into God’s rest is choosing to believe over and over that we are safe and secure in His love. And we can enter into His rest any time of day, no matter where we are, who we are with, or whatever is going on around us.

You and I my friend no longer have to be sleeplessly watchful. We no longer have to be vigilant. We have a God who never slumbers and keeps us and protects us.

We can lay down our fears and open our hands in trust, we have a Father who is waiting for us to enter into His rest.

May we go without hesitation.

Love,
Holly

Holly is a self-proclaimed mess, she says she is one of Jesus’ ongoing patients. She is a wife of eighteen years to her husband Chad and a proud mom to two teenage sons, Brendon and Tyler. She is a bible study teacher and teaches teens, couples, and women weekly. You can find her most days blogging at hollynoelhaynes.com

P.S. Enter your email (in the box on the top right) to receive weekly encouragement. 🙂

After a productive season, I hit a wall and it wasn’t my body that was bruised from the impact. It was my soul.

Right around this time, there was an event happening that I normally participated in, but I heard God whisper not to take part. Attending this event was not what my soul needed. It would have resulted in more fatigue for my depleted self. Like a moth to flame, I was drawn to this bright and beautiful thing. But this phrase was stuck on repeat, calling me from it:

Tune out, so you can tune in.

But this event is a good thing, so more of a good thing must be good, right?

Wrong.

It was like I had eaten more than my share from the buffet and I wanted to keep going…keep reaching, keep filling, keep stuffing. It was tempting to want to fill up beyond capacity. But I had gorged on activity for so long that I needed to get empty so I could feel hunger again. Soul hunger.

I needed a break so I could be put back together.

Too much activity starved my soul of the basic needs it craved:

Space.

Light.

Warmth.

Silence.

A quick fill-up would not suffice. I needed slow, small, quiet to make sense of the ache that throbbed and demanded to be heard above the static.

I needed a respite—not just a break. I needed to rest within so I could breathe deep again.

Your try hard soul is free from measuring up because My Son already measured up by overturning the scales of sin and shame. When you fall short or fall down, His robe of righteousness remains on you—like a coat of many colors, reflecting My delight in you.

Enjoy the benefits of being a daughter:

The inheritance given freely, purchased at a great price, for you.

The signet ring of My Spirit, sealing you with love, is proof of your ransom.

Partake of the feast prepared in celebration of your return.

Walk freely as a daughter. Unlock the shackles ’round your feet by receiving the truth that I sing over you.

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welcome

Hi, I'm Katie (a Modern Martha, wife, and mom to five). I'm so glad you're here! Let's enjoy some cut-to-the-chase conversation over hot or iced tea, as we find grace in the unraveling of life (together). Let's exchange try-hard striving for hope-filled freedom as we settle into our position as a doer and a daughter—created by a Loving Father.
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